Packaging device



Jun 11, 1957 ;s 2,795,094

PACKAGING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1954 INVENTOR EDWARD M SCHILD ATTORNEYUnited States Patent" Ofii ce V 2,195,0 94 Patented June 1 1 1 957PACKAGING DEVICE 1 Edward M; Schild,"Bayside,-N. Y.

ApplicationMarch 1, 1954, Serial No. 413,175

1 Claim. (Cl.-53258) This invention relates to the art of packagingdevices and particularly concerns a novel device for packing a pluralityof elongated cylindrical articles in thin plastic bags.

The invention is particularly concerned with packaging frankfurters,sausages and the like in cellophane or polyethylene bags but is notlimited thereto. Any articles having an elongated rather cylindricalshape can be packaged by means of the present invention. The inventionis adapted to packaging foodstuffs, inedible articles, and

so on.

Automatic high speed packaging devices have been developed for use inmass production processes. These machines are very complex andexpensive. Where limited quantities of articles are to be packaged,there has existed the need for a relatively simple manually operateddevice to pack one bag or container at a time prior to sealing as in avacuum sealing operation which hermetically seals the package. Manualloading of individual bags is not fast enough if articles are loaded oneat a time and the resulting pack is not sufficiently uniform andpleasing in appearance.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a devicefor packing a plurality of similarly shaped articles in a bag in auniform compact arrangement;

It is a further object to provide a packaging device for packing aplurality of frankfurters or the like in a plastic bag.

It is a further object to provide a relatively simple, manually operateddevice for loading a plastic bag with elongated cylindrically shapedarticles.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description taken together with the drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on lines 2-2, 3-3, and 4.4respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a stacking member employed in thedevice.-

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modification of the invention.

In Figs. 1, 2, .3 and 5 are shown a generally U-shaped stacking member10 having a hat bottom and flat upstanding side walls. The stackingmember may be made of metal pressed into the shape shown in Pig. 5. Apair of lugs 1'1 extend outwardly from the sides of stacking member,near the top edges of the side walls. Stacking member 10 is disposedbetween the side walls 12 of the packaging device. The walls 12 areundercut at intermediate points to provide grooves or slots 13: in whichfit the lugs '11 of the stacking member 10. The side walls 12 aresecured to a front plate 14 by screws 15. Plate '14 is L-shaped as shownin Fig. 2 and is secured at its base in clamping member 16 to table T.One or more screws 17 hold the clamping member to the table. A plunger18 passes through an opening 19 in plates 14. Pusher plate'20 is securedat the inner endi The side'wa'lls' 12'are part of a U-Tshaped member.23'

which has. abut-tom plate portion 24 which extends outwardly, beyond theends of side walls 12 and terminates in a roundedend (The side walls 12.have the slanted endsD as shown in-Figs. l and.2.

In operation of the device, a plurality of frank-furter s areplaced 'instacking mernber 10 in side by; side relationship as shown in Fig.landimp'lurality of layers. as shown in Fig. 3.1 PlungerlS isinitiallyin' the fully;

retracted'position shown in :Fig. 1." A plastic bag B is fitted over theends D and E of the U-shaped member 23 and plunger 18 is pushed forward.Stacking member 10 is held by the slots I13 while the frankfurters arepushed forward together into the bag in a single plunger movement.

In Figs. 1 and 4 the bag B is shown loaded with the frankfurters P. AU-shaped band 25 is then placed over the packed bag. The band has aflanged section S along each side which serves to grip the packed bag Bso that it can be lifted from the packaging device and easily carried toa suitable sealing machine fOI closing and sealing the package. When theplunger is released it returns to the initial position shown in Fig. 1as the spring tension is released.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modification of the invention adapted for packing acardboard member I along with frankfurters F. The cardboard member isgenerally U-shaped and will ordinarily carry indicia identifying thesource and nature of the contents of the package. To pack member I, itis necessary to provide the stacking member 10' with grooves G in thesides of the stacking member. The pusher plate 20' has curved sideshaving serrations with projections and indentations matching the groovesG and slidable loosely therein. When pusher plate 20' is pushed forwardby plunger 18 the frankfur-ters F and member I are all together pushedinto the bag B at the end of the packaging device. Stacking member 10 isprovided with lugs in the same manner as lugs 11 of stacking member 10.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the device disclosedis not limited to packing frankfurters as described. Any elongatedgenerally cylindrical article whether foodstuff or not can be packedequally efiiciently with the disclosed device. Among other foodstuffswhich may be packageable with the disclosed device may be listedpickles, macaroni, bread sticks, and so on; and among non-food items maybe listed candles, cigars, clothespins and similarly shaped articles.Regardless of the particular articles packed, the articles will alwaysbe arranged in neatly stacked layers in completely uniform array. Thistype of package is well recognized as superior for storage and shippingpurposes, and its neat appearance improves its salability when atransparent bag is used to hold the packed articles.

Although a limited number of embodiments of the invention has beendisclosed the invention is not to be construed as limited thereto. Theinvention is to be construed as limited only by the scope of theappended claim.

I claim:

A packaging device comprising a bracket which is adapted to be mountedon a table, a bracket of generally L shape which is engageable with thefirst mentioned bracket and adapted to be removably secured to saidtable by means of said first mentioned bracket, a generally U-shapedholder supported by said L-shaped bracket in a generally horizontalposition a spaced distance above the table, said U-shaped holder havinga pair of spaced parallel'longitudinally corrugated sidewalls and a flatbottom wall, the L-shaped bracket supporting said U-shaped holderbeingdisposed to extend across the back of said U-shapedlioldertdd'efiue a backwall'there far; a horizontally extending rod slidablymounted in said L-shaped bracket, the forwardend of said rod'pro jettinginto' said U-shaped holder, at pusher plate seemed to said forward endof the rod, the side-edges ofsaid' pusher plate being corrugated tofitintothe corrugations in, the sidewallsof said U-shaped holder withsuflicient clearance to permit of movement of said pusher platelongitudinally of the corrugation'sin"said "side walls,

flat side walls and a bottom wall and adapted to receive and hold aplurality of food products, said con tainer being of a size to fit intosaid U-shaped holder between its corrugated side walls, and a bag whichis adapted to be slipped over said holder and the container mountedtherein from the forward end of said holder in the direction of its backend, said pusher plate being adapted, when said rod is moved forwardlyagainst the action of said spring, to push said container together withits food contents out of the holder and into the bag while at the sametime pushing the bag off the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,422,196 Gray July 11, 1922 2,147,818 Lang Feb. 21, 1939 2,555,584Fairbanl; June 5, 1951

